Food Waste: What Is It and What Can You Do About It?

What is food waste?

Food waste is any kind of food that makes it into the trash. It could be
leftover scraps from dinner or an expired snack that got pushed to the
back of the pantry.

Food Waste Facts

In the United States, food waste is the second most abundant item in landfills.
Food waste is also the largest source of methane emissions.

One person wastes about 20 pounds of food a month. Thais equals 30-40%
of the food supply in the United States.

According to
Save The Food, a 4-person family loses $1500 a year on wasted food.

Preventing It

Food Recovery

Did you know that programs around the United States offer
food recovery? This allows you to donate any fresh food that is still fit for consumption.
This includes unserved foods, produce, day-old baked goods, prepared foods
and leftovers from catered events.

Feeding Animals

This food waste process can occur in two ways. One way is by collecting
food scraps for local farms. The farm will then process the food to eliminate
bacteria and is then fed to livestock. You can also donats food to Animal
Feed Manufacturers. Some items that are accepted are uneaten food items,
food prep waste, plate waste, and unpackaged spoiled or outdated foods.

Composting

All food scraps and food-soiled paper can be composted. Here are a few examples:

Meat

Poultry

Seafood

Rice

Beans

Coffee

Grounds

Eggshells

Paper Bags

Pizza Boxes

Paper Towels

When You Shop

You can eliminate food waste before it happens.
Waste is often a subconscious act, so think about what you’re buying. Be a smart shopper. Plan out
meals ahead of time and only purchase what you need.

At College Hunks, we know the importance of keeping the world around us
clean. That’s why we
donate and
recycle as many items we haul as possible. It is our goal to Move The World.